Event Highlight:

Youth-Led Stakeholders’ Engagement on Transparency and Accountability in Host Communities

On November 25, 2025, Clement Isong Foundation (CIF), with support from ActionAid Nigeria, convened a high-level Youth-Led Stakeholders’ Engagement on Transparency and Accountability for Improved Development in Host Communities. The one-day dialogue brought together regulators, Host Community Development Trusts (HCDTs), oil and gas operators, youth leaders, civil society actors, community representatives, and the media to strengthen governance under the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and promote inclusive, climate-responsive development.

The engagement created a rare multi-stakeholder platform where duty-bearers and rights-holders engaged in open, evidence-based discussions on governance gaps affecting host communities. Key regulatory institutions, including the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) and the National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), clarified compliance expectations and accountability standards guiding HCDT operations. Trustees from the Ibeno Host Community Development Trust (IHCDT) and IFUN HCDT reflected on internal governance challenges, while community representatives and youth advocates shared lived experiences regarding limited access to Community Development Plans (CDPs), weak feedback mechanisms, and gaps in environmental response.

A major highlight of the event was the official launch of the Multi-Stakeholder Report titled “Extraction and Sustainable Development: Rethinking Governance for Improved Quality of Life in Host Communities.” The report provides data-driven insights and practical recommendations to strengthen transparency, enhance settlor accountability, improve participatory project planning, and integrate climate resilience into development frameworks.

The engagement concluded with concrete commitments from key actors. HCDTs pledged to improve internal governance systems, strengthen communication channels, and make development plans more accessible to communities. Settlor representatives committed to aligning interventions with community priorities and exploring renewable energy and climate-responsive initiatives. Youth participants committed to sustaining monitoring efforts and leveraging digital accountability tools to track compliance and project delivery.

Through this convening, CIF reinforced its leadership in democratizing the PIA, empowering young people as accountability actors, and fostering collaborative governance. The engagement not only deepened dialogue but catalyzed measurable commitments toward transparent, inclusive, and sustainable development in Akwa Ibom’s host communities.